In 1964, Lafayette businessman and philanthropist, Maurice Heymann donated to the University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL), now University of Louisiana at Lafayette, three-acres of land located on the corner of East Saint Mary Boulevard and Girard Park Drive for the purpose of building the Art Center for Southwestern Louisiana.

In 1965, USL Foundation began planning for the construction and operation of the Center. Starting with a fund of $100,000, the Foundation began a campaign to secure an additional $100,000. Construction on the Center began in April 1967 and the building opened to the public in March 1968. The Center, a replica of the Hermitage (Darrow, Louisiana), a 19th-century Louisiana River Road Greek Revival plantation house, was designed by A. Hays Town.

In 2002, Lafayette residents, Paul and Lulu Hilliard, presented UL Lafayette Foundation a lead gift of $3 million for the construction of a new $8.4 million University Art Museum. The new Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum opened in April 2004.[1] The museum building is 33,000 square feet (3,100 m2) with over 11,000 square feet (1,000 m2) of gallery space. It was designed by Eskew+Dumez+Ripple, a New Orleans-based studio.[2] The Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum is the recipient of six distinguished architectural design awards, including the 2005 American Institute of Architects National Honor Award.[3] The University Art Museum is an education-oriented museum that serves as a center for interdisciplinary learning. It serves the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s educational mission to a traditional liberal arts and sciences education.[1] In 2011 the Hilliard Museum was one of four museums recognized by the Fondation Alberto et Annette Giacometti, based in Paris, France, for protection of artworks and artist rights. Other nominees included The National Gallery, London, Victoria Albert Museum, London, and the Detroit Institute of Art.[4]

In September 2010, Mark Landis went to the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum, under the identity of a jesuit priest, Father Arthur Scott. He donated a painting said to be by Charles Courtney Curran, under the pretext of the loss of his mother. The director, Mark Tullos, asked registrar Joyce Penn to verify the painting. Penn examined the painting under blacklight, and the colors glowed suspiciously. A microscope observation then showed a dot-matrix pattern, hinting that a mere photocopy of the original had been projected on the board and then painted over. Joyce Penn dug deeper and linked up with another investigation. In November 2010, The Art Newspaper published a complete paper on the matter. The last known attempt by Landis took place in November 2010, again under the Father Arthur Scott identity, at the Ackland Art Museum, with a French academy drawing.[5]

Both Tullos and Leininger wished to put an end to Landis' forger career. Matthew Leininger and Aaron Cowan set up an exhibition wishing to address the general matter of forgery in art, and specifically Landis' works. The curators collected some 90 pieces by Landis, who provided his "jesuit father" costume and some of his art books. Named "Faux Real", it took place from April first to May 20, 2012 at the Dorothy W. and C. Lawson Reed Jr. Gallery, Cincinnati.[6][7] The organizers set up a short video featuring Landis' most relevant paintings.

The Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum collection consists of over 4,000 objects including 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st century American, European and Asian art works. Specific focus is given to artists who work or have worked in Louisiana and/or influenced the culture of Louisiana.

The Museum holds 150 pieces from American ModernistHenry Botkin in oil, pastel, and collage produced from the 1930s to the 1960s. It is considered one of the most important single collections held at the Hilliard.[8]

A collection of Japanese woodblock printing, illustrating the changes in Japanese society from the late 19th to the early 20th century. The subjects vary from popular social interests and concerns, to beautiful women, to handsome actors, and political satire.[8]

The Sylvia and Warren Lowe Collection of American Vernacular Art[edit]

A growing collection establish through the generous contributions of W. E. Groves and the ongoing contributions of Robert and Jolie Shelton, George and Betty Jo Newton, and Elizabeth Dubus Baldridge.[8]